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Let’s just get it out there, us girls have been through some serious shit throughout history. Even today, we have to prove our worth over and over just to be taken seriously.

Women are strong, brave, and beautiful. Nothing beats the power, energy, and decisiveness of a woman who sets out to reach her goals. A woman who isn’t ashamed of her strength and who doesn’t try to hold back is a perfect role model for all the girls out there, looking for their place in the world.

Someone said that the strongest action a woman can take is love herself, and we think that person was absolutely right.

Sometimes, we need reminding of what we’re capable of. If you’re looking for some motivation to lift yourself up, or to remind the most wonderful women in your life how brilliant they are, you’ve come to the right place.

Check out these amazing strong woman quotes that celebrate everything that the word ‘woman’ stands for.

The best strong women quotes:
woman wearing black coat leaning on the fence
1. “You have to be consistent. You have to be yourself. You have to be committed to what you’re doing. You have to not be afraid to be ambitious.” — Roxane Gay

2. “It’s not your job to be likeable. It’s your job to be yourself. Someone will like you anyway.” — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

6. “Don’t be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered.” — Michelle Obama

7. “We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes—understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” — Arianna Huffington

8. “We have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible.” — Beyonce

9. “One of the biggest qualities is having an awareness outside of yourself, and understanding that the world doesn’t revolve around your needs.” — Brie Larson

10. “Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.” ― Lady Gaga

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11. “Run your own race. Don’t be distracted by what others are doing. Set and go after your own goals.” — Jen Gouldstone

12. “Find your ‘why’ so that you have the strength and resilience to push through those times when everything else is telling you no.” — Lisa Wimberger

13. “A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.” — Diane Mariechild

14. “Once you know who you are, you don’t have to worry anymore.” — Nikki Giovanni

15. “Those who have a strong sense of love and belonging have the courage to be imperfect.” — Brene Brown

16. “The warrior knows that her heartbreak is her map.” — Glennon Doyle

17. “I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be yourself.” — Emma Stone

18. “A strong woman looks a challenge dead in the eye and gives it a wink.” — Gina Carey

19. “There were times I was underestimated a lot. It gave me a unique benefit.” — Elaine Welteroth

20. “Why not take a chance and bet on happiness? — Jenny Han

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21. “Every time someone writes that I play ‘strong women’ what they’re implying is that most women aren’t. How about I just play well-written parts?” — Jessica Chastain

22. “We have to let go of the idea of balance in order to move toward the life we want. To do that, we need to recognize the stories we are telling ourselves that are holding us back. And sometimes … we just have to stop telling ourselves our old stories.” — Tonya Dalton

23. “Your mindset can control you, or you can control it. It can reward you, or it can own you. You get to decide. What are you choosing?” — Leila Kashani

24. “In order to create change of any kind, we have to first change the way we view ourselves. The time we spend believing in ourselves, believing in something greater, and not deviating from our instincts is the most important investment we can make. This is our power, this is our light and the world needs more of this.” — Alyssa Rosenheck

Inspirational quotes about a woman’s strength:
woman listening to music on earphones while running by the sidewalk
25. “You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.” — Serena Williams

26. “On my own I will just create, and if it works, it works, and if it doesn’t, I’ll create something else. I don’t have any limitations on what I think I could do or be.”— Oprah Winfrey

27. “In a world that wants women to whisper, I choose to yell.” — Luvvie Ajayi

28. “Success requires competence and confidence. You must be good at what you do; and you must speak up and take credit for your work. One or the other just won’t cut it.” — Michelle Bomberger

29. “‘No’ today doesn’t mean ‘no’ tomorrow.” — Yvonne Orji

30. “You never know if you can actually do something against all odds until you actually do it.” — Abby Wambach

32. “It doesn’t matter when you start, it doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing. All that matters is that you truly follow your own path, your own way, at your own pace. Be kind to yourself and others, and follow your intuition always. That is real bravery.” — Diana Shneider

34. “Woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself. ” — Susan B. Anthony

35. “Take one day a week for yourself and go “off the grid.” If smartphones are allowed to recharge, shouldn’t we be allowed to as well?” — Elizabeth Borsting

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36. “Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder.” — Sheryl Sandberg

37. “Let your creativity be a river, not a destination.” — Elizabeth Gilbert

38. “Limit your ‘always’ and your ‘nevers.’” — Amy Poehler

39. “If you set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.” — Margaret Thatcher

Powerful woman quotes:
group of people sitting indoors while having meeting
40. “Once you’ve taken your seat at the table, it’s your job to pull out a chair for the others, too. Look for the ‘others.’ Acknowledge them. Build a platform for them.” — Bianca Bass

41. “She’s a strong cup of black coffee in a world that is drunk on the cheap wine of shallow love.” ― Unknown

48. “Men selectively listen. When that happened, I’d stop the conversation and say, ‘Do you realize I said that 10 minutes ago?’ Women have to take responsibility for the dynamic around them. You can’t just say, ‘Woe is me.’” — Maggie Wilderotter

50. “My best successes came on the heels of failure.” — Barbara Corcoran

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51. “When someone tells you that you can’t, figure out how you can.” — Clarice Lam

52. “It takes a strong man to love a strong woman.” — Unknown

53. “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained..” — Marie Curie

54. “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” — Sarah Blakely

56. “Women are like tea bags. You never know how strong they are until you put them in hot water.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

57. “If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore.” — Michele Ruiz

58. “Life is not so much what you accomplish as what you overcome.” — Robin Roberts

59. “We forget we have the right to have a voice. You have the right to get what you ask for. And if you say nothing, you’re going to have zero percent chance to fix it.” — Joy Mangano

60. “Stay in motion, whether things are going well, or they have taken a complete nosedive. It is easier to keep moving towards your big goal than to come to a complete stop and then try to regain your momentum. Even the tiniest of baby steps is still a step closer to where you want to be.” — Keita Williams

Strong woman quotes you need to read:
woman wearing white wristwatch sitting on black sofa
61. “Value your time so you can spend time doing what you value.” — Melissa St. Clair

62. “My experiences remind me that it’s those black clouds that make the blue skies even more beautiful.” — Kelly Clarkson

63. “My husband always tells me that I’m the most unrelenting person he’s ever met, and it’s true. If I make a commitment to something, I will stick to it no matter what.” — Jenny Craig

65. “I firmly believe you must first ask for what you want and then make a decision to get what you want. It doesn’t take a genie, just a well-thought-out plan.” — Michelle Gamble

66. “The concept of a glass ceiling only exists if we agree and are complicit with the rules of engagement created by the establishment…We are building this industry brick-by-brick and we can make it look any way we want.” — Jamie Pearson

67. “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” — Madeleine Albright

68. “There’s no such thing as a ‘smart business idea’—there’s only an idea that is smart for you.” — Marianne Cantwell

69. “‘Dig your well before you’re thirsty.’ Many people don’t realize you need to build a network without expecting anything in return first. The success will follow. Start digging!” — Caitlin McCarthy

70. “Even if you scored your dream job, you will have bad days. You might even have a crummy week, month, or year. Living out your passion doesn’t exempt you from the struggle.” — Meggie Francisco

elegant businesswoman holding folder in office
71. “There will always be someone who is better than you at something, so stay true to yourself and find your voice—it’s the only thing that will differentiate you from your colleagues.” — Rosina Bosco

72. “She remembered who she was and the game changed.” — Lalah Deliah

73. “Life-fulfilling work is never about the money—when you feel true passion for something you instinctively find ways to nurture it.” — Eileen Fisher

74. “Choose your dream. Work to the extreme.” — Tyra Banks

75. “Some of us are walking around thinking everybody else knows more than us or has it better than us when in all actuality, we have everything we need within. If we could just refocus that energy inward we’d see we’ve had it all along.” — Terri Lomax

86. “Look at all sides of the idea presented. There are nuggets that may not be on the surface of the idea. One bad idea could blossom into something unlikely and special.” — Elizabeth Dodson

87. “Connect to something that’s bigger than yourself. How can you tap your talents and interests to benefit others or the world? The more you help others get what they want, the more you will reap.” — Judy Holland

88. “I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.” — Maya Angelou
Best quotes about independent women:

89. “Invite people into your life that don’t look or think like you.” — Mellody Hobson

90. “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” — Amelia Earhart

woman standing on seashore facing the water
91. “A strong woman is a woman who craves love like oxygen or she turns blue choking. A strong woman is a woman who loves strongly and weeps strongly and is strongly terrified and has strong needs. A strong woman is strong in words, in action, in connection, in feeling; she is not strong as a stone but as a wolf suckling her young. Strength is not in her, but she enacts it as the wind fills a sail.” ― Marge Piercy

92. “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” — Nora Ephron

93. “Hope is the most exciting thing there is in life.” — Mandy Moore

94. “Ditch the dream and be a doer.” — Shonda Rhimes

95. “Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got. There is no yesterday, no tomorrow, it’s all the same day.” — Janis Joplin

96. “We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.” — Malala Yousafzai

97. “You have to be driven, resourceful, not take no for an answer, and have the nerve to do things that haven’t been done. I think you also have to be comfortable not being everything to everyone, which is something that we often expect of women in a way we don’t of men.” — Audrey Gelman

98. “Be brave, be bold, be free.” — Angelina Jolie

99. “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” — Estée Lauder

100. “If you are giving a lot of value, if you are making an impact in people’s lives, it will be reflected in your bank account.” — Millie Leung

two women smiling in front of computer monitor in the office
101. “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” ― Mother Teresa

102. “Successful people understand that you don’t need to make things complicated.” — Anne McKevitt

103. “Let me take a minute to say that I love bossy women. Some people hate the word, and I understand how “bossy” can seem like a shitty way to describe a woman with a determined point of view, but for me, a bossy woman is someone to search out and celebrate. A bossy woman is someone who cares and commits and is a natural leader.” — Amy Poehler

104. “We need to get women to the point where they aren’t apologizing. It is time to take ownership in our success.” — Tory Burch

Motivational quotes on badass women:
woman touching her chin while leaning on fence

105. “For every failure, there’s an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.” — Mary Kay Ash

106. “A strong woman will automatically stop trying if she feels unwanted. She won’t fix it or beg, she just walks away.” — Unknown

108. “You must stay true to your values, dreams, talents, instincts, passion and everything that makes you, you. Ultimately, this boils down to living your truth, rather than avoiding, dismissing or writing it off. Plus, it’s a lot more effort to live inauthentically than to embrace who you are!” — Kim Kiyosaki

woman with long brown sitting near door
116. “You take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.” — Erica Jong

117. “Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” — Gloria Steinem

118. “Always stay passionate about what you are doing! I’ve never been one to stay in a comfort zone too long because I need challenges in my life. I encourage everyone around me to not be afraid of following your instinct and passion, but most of all try to do what you really love, that’s the best way to succeed.” — Emma Moquet

119. “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” — Rosa Parks

120. “Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.” — Ingrid Bergman

121. “I like to evaluate each day by thinking, ‘What can I do today to build the life I want?’” — Amanda Daering

122. “Do we want to progress? If we want to progress, let women be all they can be. Don’t get in their way.” — Danai Gurira

124. “My natural thing is to be a problem solver. And so when things happen to me, I’m, like, ‘Walk away.’ Because that’s how I was my entire life. I’ve been in the storm too long for that to shake me.” — Mariah Carey

woman in blue long sleeve shirt leaning on her mother while preparing food
126. “Women have to harness their power—it’s absolutely true. It’s just learning not to take the first no. And if you can’t go straight ahead, you go around the corner.” — Cher

127. “Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead twenty years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there then.” — Diana Ross

128. “Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” — Judy Garland

129. “I’ve tried my very best to live a life of my own making, and not just a series of events that happened to me, but one that I could stand back and look at and recognize my handwriting all over. Sometimes messy and scrawling, sometimes careful and precise—but one that I had carved with my own hand.” — Michelle Williams

130. “I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” ― Madonna

131. “A really strong woman accepts the war she went through and is ennobled by her scars.” ― Carly Simon

132. “It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” ― Anne Frank

133. “The world needs strong women. Women who will lift and build others, who will love and be loved. Women who live bravely, both tender and fierce. Women of indomitable will.” ― Unknown

134. “If you are successful, it is because somewhere, sometime, someone gave you a life or an idea that started you in the right direction. Remember also that you are indebted to life until you help some less fortunate person, just as you were helped.” ― Melinda Gates

135. “I always joke about letting the haters motivate you. Everybody has that in their life, people who doubt them or make them feel less than they are. It just takes faith and belief in yourself, and you’ve got to dig deep into that. That has to come from you―nobody’s going to give you that.” ― Jennifer Lopez